Named for its locality, Cumaru (Ku-Ma-Ru) Aquamarine’s uniquely beautiful, and incredibly rare, seafoam bluish-greens come from a relatively recent discovery (circa 2014) at Cumaru do Norte in the northern Brazilian state of Pará, a region most famous for the Amazon. Aptly exhibiting Aquamarines’ oceanic air, Cumaru Aquamarine displays an exceptional hue, high-clarity, optimal lapidary, excellent brilliance, and wonderful light-play. Key quality considerations for a prized scarce Aquamarine, whose sole deposit depleted soon after discovery. An excellent jewelry gemstone, Cumaru Aquamarine is increasingly restricted by the cumulative scarcity of its now historic gemmy-quality.
Hardness 7.5 - 8
Refractive Index 1.562 – 1.602
Relative Density 2.71 – 2.90
Enhancement Heat
Beauty
Ranging from pastel to intense deep blues, sometimes with splashes of green, Aquamarine is a Beryl sister gem to Emerald and Golden Beryl. Due to its high-clarity and transparency, Aquamarines’ most important value determinant is color, making expert lapidary that accentuates color absolutely critical.
Cumaru Aquamarine beautifully displays striking bluish-greens (a splash of green with cool blues), with a highly-desirable medium-light saturation and tone. While Aquamarines’ quintessential ‘classic’ pastel blues are the norm, this uniquely-colored Aquamarine’s beautiful hue is extremely rare, and critical for a gem where color is the most important factor. Cumaru Aquamarine’s stunning seafoam radiates regardless of eye color or complexion, and is beautifully distinct to Aquamarines’ more typical hues, boosting desirability.
Optimally faceted in the gemstone trading town of Governador Valadares by some of Brazil’s best lapidaries, Cumaru Aquamarine’s crystals are carefully orientated to maximize their colorful brilliance and scintillation (play of light), maintaining a high-polish/luster, attractive overall appearance (outline, profile, proportions, and shape), and an eye-clean clarity, the highest quality clarity grade for colored gemstones as determined by the world’s leading gemological laboratories.
Coined by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, Aquamarine literally means ‘water of the sea’ in Latin, from the words ‘aqua’ (water) and ‘marina’ (sea). March’s birthstone, Aquamarine is a member of the Beryl mineral family (from the ancient Greek ‘beryllos’, meaning blue-green stone), commonly known as the ‘mother of gemstones’ because of its highly regarded gem varieties. Pure Beryl is colorless and trace amounts of elements are responsible for producing Beryl’s wonderful colors. Aquamarine is colored by trace amounts of ferric iron, and apart from its blues, other Beryl gemstones include, Emerald greens, Golden Beryl yellows, Goshenite whites (colorless), Heliodor greenish-yellows, Morganite pinks, and Red Beryl reds.
Rarity
Prior to Aquamarine’s modern African discoveries (circa 1830), Brazil and Russia produced the finest quality. Today, African nations including, Nigeria, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Zambia also yield beautiful Aquamarines.
While Brazil is still a major source, Cumaru Aquamarine’s unique discovery was unfortunately limited to a singular, raw crystal. Ostensibly large at 200 kilograms, most of the crystal wasn’t gem-quality, resulting in an extremely limited supply. Cumaru Aquamarine is currently unavailable on the open market, accentuating the rarity of this distinctively beautiful gemstone.
Durability & Care
Cumaru Aquamarine (Mohs’ Hardness: 7.5 – 8) is an excellent choice for everyday jewelry. Always store Cumaru Aquamarine carefully to avoid scuffs and scratches. Clean with gentle soap and lukewarm water, scrubbing behind the gem with a very soft toothbrush as necessary. After cleaning, pat dry with a soft towel or chamois cloth.
Map Location
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